I had my own beer festival....

And didn't take any pictures! Last night we had some friends from college over to have our own version of the Great American Beer Festival. We've been to the GABF 3 times in the past, and for those who aren't familiar, it's a giant ruckus with breweries from all over the country pouring one oz. samples of their products. The Denver Convention Center gets so packed with people, they line up 12 across and the line goes all the way around the Convention Center for 2 days of beer drinking debauchery. It's a good time, but it's getting to be too big, too loud, and too crowded for our aging tastes. What can I say, we're getting old. So instead, this year we decided to have our own version. I went to a liquor store near us that lets you buy individual beers and mix and match your own six packs, so I found 24 different beers we'd never tried, or had tried and liked, and asked everyone to grab a six pack or a bomber of something they liked or wanted to try. Our friends S&B just got back from the real thing Oktoberfest in Germany so they brought their faves from there. Let's just say that this morning we have a LOT of leftover beer, so we'll obviously have to have some more fun next weekend.

For food we went German style and grilled up some brats in the afternoon, then let them cook in beer and sauerkraut for 6 hours. They were delicious (but my stomach is none too sure about them this morning). We also had some homemade beer cheese soup, that would have been helped greatly by some croutons, but hey, lesson learned. I did buy a bunch of those super pretzels, but we didn't make a single one and now the freezer is packed to capacity plus some. The food was really tasty though!

Overall, I think the party was a great idea, and next year, look for an evite early. I think this could catch on!

Well, crap.

This week I have spent every morning at the University Hospital Level I nursery. This is the happy nursery. The nursery where the healthy babies go. It is awesome! A very happy place in medicine, that's for sure. The thing about it, though, is that it has reignited my interest in ob/gyn. I just love that stuff. And I wish I didn't love that stuff. I want to have a life. I'm afraid of that residency. But, when it comes down to it, maybe I'm just afraid of residency. There is no easy residency. I just have to face that fact. I guess I'm right back to where I started.

So at least I get one more day with the cute babies, and one more day at the private practice peds office! All good things. I'm looking forward to a nice weekend, and hopefully getting organized again. Ever since this clerkship started I've just been kind of flying by the seat of my pants. Hope everyone is doing well, and hopefully I'll have some fun pictures to post after the weekend!

Rocky's Day Out

Today I took Rocky to the farmer's market with me. He was great! I love having (at least) one good dog that I can bring in public without worrying he might eat a kid or pull me into a vendor's tent.

I have to say I'm enjoying the fall. It's the best time of year for farmer's market produce, the weather is nice and cool but still warm enough to enjoy it, and for me it just seems to be the most optimistic time of year. This is only fueled by the best news I've gotten all year - I am going to do my surgery rotation at Rose Medical Center.

Why is this great news? Because at Rose your life doesn't suck. That's why. Students work one weekend a month instead of every weekend. Students get meal tickets! Students get free parking! Students (so far) don't get yelled at! I've been so dreading this rotation (which starts in the middle of October), and now I don't feel nearly as scared. So far third year has shaped up to be better than expected. I hope I don't jinx myself for saying that!

For now, I am just enjoying my time in private practice pediatrics. Everyone has been so nice, and I enjoy working with kids and families. Right now, life is good!

Fall

I have actually read books - fiction! This is an exciting perk of 3rd year I never anticipated. We had a really great relaxing weekend. Saturday, after my donut-eating, movie watching rest time we headed up to Superior CO for the Mile High Chili festival. It was great! For 5 bucks each we got all the chili we could shove in our bellies and 2 free beers. Plus there was a great live band too. It rained a ton for a long time, and it was really cold, but overall it was a great day!

I also read the Time Traveler's Wife. I cried like a baby. I don't think I will watch the movie.

It is really starting to feel like fall, which always seems like the time for starting new things. I know I feel this way because I've been in school for-well- ever. But I think I'd like to try a new hobby. Any ideas?

Lazy mornings

Pediatrics is a fantastic rotation! Don't get me wrong, it is definitely not for me. My stomach turns a little everytime I have to give a little baby shots and hear the inevitable screams that follow. But the kids are almost always great patients. They are unassuming, trusting, and honest. That's the best part. It's fun to work there, and the hours are great. That's about all I can ask for!

Plus it lets me spend my weekends here on the couch with J, eating some Winchell's donuts, drinking coffee and otherwise being lazy and happy.

And we're one third through it!

I am so excited that neurology is over! Tonight J and I and a bunch of med school peeps are headed downtown to Great Divide Brewing Co. for their release party for two new beers. It should be a lot of fun. I'll take pictures and for once maybe I'll post them!

To leave everyone on a fun note, since I promise I didn't actually hate neurology, I have a great patient story, two actually.

#1: I walked into the patient's room (one who was admitted for altered mental status and what was starting to look like a possible dementia) and asked how the patient was doing that morning. Patient says: "I'm great doc. Ask away, I'm ready to think!"

#2: A patient came in after losing consciousness. He was in a coma. This was the third time he'd been in this year. He continually was stopping his insulin and skipping dialysis, having a seizure, going to the hospital, getting righted and heading home. Not the fun part. The good part is what his daughters did the last time he came in. He had a small stroke and couldn't really remember anything afterward. So what did his daughers do? He asked for a cigarette and they told him he quit smoking 3 years ago. He couldn't remember so he just believed them. And quit smoking cold turkey.

Have a great weekend!

Neuro...so/so

Well, the final verdict is, I didn't completely hate it, but I sure don't like it. I'm pretty sure I'm going to walk in this morning and my patient will have died. This is not a rarity in neuro unfortunately. Brain tumors are not good news.

But, I don't have to love everything. And in fact, I'm relieved that I don't! Looking at how I feel about neuro (and if I'm honest, inpatient medicine in general) it makes me feel certain that by the end of the year I'll know for sure what I want to do. More and more often I think that something is OB/Gyn. The lifestyle scares the crap out of me. But not all residency programs are as scary as the one I did my rotation at. I think a small community program might just be ok. I still have a lot of thinking about it to do. And I still love psych. Also, I have two weeks of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation coming up, and that sounds pretty fun too! I can't rule that one out either.

I was able to be the first assist on an oophorectemy (I helped my preceptor remove an ovary) and I haven't felt that excited about a piece of medicine for months. I think it might be a sign. I know I can choose anything I want, especially because I have such a supportive hubs. And residency won't last forever, so it's silly for me to choose something that has an "easier" residency but that I like less. Lots to think about I guess.

But, next week is vacay! I will write more later, but for now, it's back to the wards. TWO MORE DAYS!!!!!!